Roscoe History: Businessman J.K Armsby
An international corporation had its roots with a young Roscoe broom maker and singer.
In the summer of 1860, a twenty one year old man stepped off the stagecoach that had stopped in front of the Roscoe Post Office. It is not known why he came to Roscoe, but he quickly made a name for himself.
James Kendall Armsby was born in 1839 in Massachusetts, the son of Edwin and Ann Maria Holmes Armsby. By the time he paid his stagecoach fare, he had 15 cents left to his name. He found a job at the Roscoe Broom Factory where he made 50 cents a day plus room and board. The factory closed after a short time, and J.K. once again found himself in need of a job. His love of music and pleasant singing voice landed him a spot in an all male quartet, organized by Sabin O. Wood, M.J Wood, G.H Wood and G. W Warner, Armsby became the advance agent of the troupe. He was often compared to P.T. Barnum.
September 29, 1861, he joined the 8th Illinois Calvary, Company L, who had seen action in Manassas and Antietem. His health had begun to fail, and after several months, he was honorably discharged after suffering for weeks in a field hospital.
Returning to Roscoe, Armsby married Mary Wyman on November 12, 1863. Mary was the sister of Eliza Wyman Lovejoy, wife of Roscoe businessman AJ Lovejoy. They were the parents of at least two children, J.K Armsby Jr. and George Newell Armsby. Moving to Beloit, Wisconsin, the young couple opened a restaurant and also dealt in fruits and confections. J.K. was soon offered a position in Madison, Wisconsin, as a salesman for a large mercantile business. In 1873, the family moved to Chicago where the J.K. Armsby Company was started. Unfortunately, just three years later, his beloved wife died. The two children went to Roscoe to live with Eliza and AJ Lovejoy, living there for 6 to 7 years.
At the time of his death in 1894, Armsby had established one of the largest business operations in the world. The business was left to his two eldest sons, J.K, who had become president and George, who became the secretary and the treasurer of this multimillion dollar business.
George was the brains behind the operation, and under his leadership, the company expanded to the West Coast and became one of the original companies that formed the California Packing Company. By 1916, the company was worth $20,000,000.00.
The Lovejoys' love and generosity had not been forgotten by George, and in 1916, he sent them two tickets to California along with an invitation to spend the winter with him in California, an invitation the Lovejoys happily accepted.
The company J.K. Armsby started became an internationally recognized company and today is known as Del Monte.
For more information on Roscoe history, please visit the Roscoe Township Historical Society's Facebook page or website.
